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from the Gov't are looking after land to purchase

While at Dover on the 3rd inst 8 late discharged colored soldiers were paid their Bounty. 5 of them have made arrangements to purchase small homes for themselves & are only waiting for me to examine their paper and approve the transaction.

There are 125 cases where colored people have applied for Bounty and back pay due them for Military Services or the services of some deceased relative at Dover Stewart Co. About 600 in and near Clarksville and about 60 near the Cumberland Furnace.

While there are many duties for the Agent of the Bureau to perform, the paramount one to me is to assist the Colored people in procuring homes with the money they receive from the Gov't. Many of them believe they are to receive hereafter a yearly stipend from the Gov't and that hard work is unnecessary. This delusion I have made an effort to dispel & if they let their bounty money slip without procuring homes no such favorable opportunity will ever again be offered.

During the last month I have been collecting the names of the children in two districts in this Co. the Round Pond and Cabin Row. At the former there are 120 and the letters about 70 children between the ages of 6 and 21 years.

We want some help to build the school houses and the Col'd people will support a good school